thanksgiving with cousin Bev in Augusta!

Would you look at that spread?!
What a fabulous feast!
I arrived a little late, due to traffic problems, but much of the food was still there. Hooray! Cousin Bev and her husband Allen were hosting the Thanksgiving dinner at their house and had invited me back in ... July? August? So of course I said 'YES!', as I have for several years now. Bev is such a fabulous chef and I do so enjoy the fancy touches!
Aunt Barbara and John were there, too. Hooray! And Jenny with her two kids! And Robbie! And Terrie with her hubby Mike! And Scott! And a few other folks, too!
I'm getting much better with names. I'll work on the children's names next time.
(smile)
The meal was at Bev's house. Most of them stayed with me, keeping me company while I ate three helpings of sweet potato souffle, a mound of turkey, and a bit of everything else.
Well, not the oyster dressing.
(smile)
But certainly everything else!
Then we all trooped over to Terrie and Mike's new house. It was literally down the street, up the first left, then down that first left. I bet the houses are almost lined up from one block to the next!
How very nice that they found a house so close to her parents!
Terrie gave me the grand tour of the 3500 square-foot property. Such oddly shaped rooms! What interesting ceiling angles! Incredibly spacious kitchen! And, my oh my, would you look at the drum room!!!
Mike, you see, is with LaRoxes, a rockabilly band from Augusta that's even known in Paris. Truly! I'm talkin' 'bout Paris, France, too, not Paris, Tennessee!
(That's because they plastered stickers of the band up on French walls bearing other musicians' adware. They were there for their honeymoon. Comment belle, n'est-ce pas?)
Notice the plates and serving pieces in the photo? Terrie made them for her senior art project. Made the clay formulation, designed the glazes, even built the kiln to fire it all. Amazing!
After dessert and admiration of photo albums, it was back to the Prouty's to load up and head off. Dark was coming and I wanted to at least be on a major road before night came in earnest. Allen sent me off with plenty of food and the sweet smells of sage, bay, anise, and rosemary to scent my drive.
Along the way, I was treated to "Alice's Restaurant", too! I had already heard it on the drive to Augusta and there it was again, to bookend my trip! Arlo Guthrie's classic 1967 anti-war folk song is a staple on WRHQ for Thanksgiving - thanks, y'all!

The next morning, I feasted again.
For breakfast, I heated
all of the
Brussels sprouts dish.
All of it!
My rationale was simple:
the dish contained veggies,
bacon (for protein),
and apples for (fruit).
What an ideal combination!

Later, for slunch
before my stint as usher
for "Elf" at the Lucas,
I had more delicious
leftovers from Bev's.
Her moist roasted turkey,
her amazingly good orange and pomegranate fruit cup,
and Aunt Barbara's cornbread dressing.
Minion approved meal!
(smile!)

Then it was Saturday!
My brunch was courtesy of
Aunt Barbara's cooking
- thank you so very much!
Her scrumptious sweet potato souffle, made from scratch with
fresh sweet potatoes
and topped with local pecans,
combined quite nicely
with some canned chicken,
balancing both very well!
The flamenco flamingo
from Burt's Farm
would have been
quite pretty
beside the meal.

The last meal from
the bounty in Augusta
was a late post-movie dinner tonight.
Barbara and Sandy have caught my Bollywood fever - hooray!
"Tamasha", aka "Spectacle", was about a young man who finally follows his heart's desire instead of being the person he thinks others want him to be.
Something decidedly different was called for!
I combined chicken and broth with the green bean casserole - perfect!
The green beans and artichoke hearts, sprinkled with french onion crispies and blended with the chicken flavor, was exactly what I wanted!

silly ice cream giggles and lighted boats!

Woohoo! The annual Boat Parade of Lights was tonight!
I was there with "my first niece and my next-to-last niece", as I told the kind folks who made space for us there on the riverfront. I imagine that part of the reason they were so accomodating is J's white walking stick. However, they were older and quite kind, as well, so I believe they would have made a viewing space for us anyway. The woman and I had quite a nice bit of patter throughout the show!
As I said, I was with Christina and Chelsea, respectively, and the two foster kids currently in Christina and Jason's care. J and E are sibling teens and are both sweet and kind kids.
We arrived a little late, but we still saw plenty of boats!
One had Chilly Willy up topside!
One was even led by Rudolph!
Several had Santa Claus waving and grinning, whether aft, stern, or midship. (Yep, that's Navy talk coming out!)
There was even a boat with a small Eiffel Tower on the bow!
The funniest was a motorized fishing boat, bedecked with lights all along its topside. A solitary fisherman sat in the bow of the boat, fishing cap pulled low. Very funny!
We ate Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and ooh'ed and aah'ed over the boats as they cruised past. SOmetimes, we even waved right back at them!
After the parade, we started our leisurely way back toward Bay Street, but then stopped in our tracks.
What was that?
Are they testing the fireworks??
No, they were starting them early!
Hooray!!!
Back to our vantage point to partake of boat lights to our left and massive explosions of bright color to our right. Wonderful!!!
More oohs and aahs!!!
Afterward, Christina fetched the van and we headed back southside.
She and I talked a bit while the kids all dozed - very nice!
Once we were back at her house, we finished watching "Earth To Echo" so J could watch SpongeBob. That's when Christina whipped out the lactose-free ice cream and chocolate syrup!
Hooray!!!!
Oh, my! So very yummy!
We were all in grand spirits then!
The two sisters started tickling and picking at each other - funny!
I was petting Kahli and said "She's such a sweet girl", to which E piped up with "Thanks!"
Then she realized I was talking to the dog...
and we bust out laughing!
We just couldn't seem to stop!
Ice cream giggles!!!
(smile!)

What a great night!

red hot lovers with bbq and a side of groucho!

Yesterday was so bitter sweet.
I had to say farewell forever to Contessa. That was very sad.
But I spent the emotionally-charged day and most of the evening with the bfe. That was very good.
How fortunate that our schedules finally coincided so we could be a comfort to each other! What excellent timing by that magnificent kitteh - one last mitzvah from the 'Tess.
As I said, yesterday was a bitter-sweet day.
The physicist and I were overdue for some time together. It's been better than two months since we last dined and talked. Crazy!
Yesterday afternoon, I picked up him and Tess - after some hugs and tears - and took them to Pets at Peace. Dave, the co-founder of the program at the funeral home, met us with great sympathy and open ears. The bfe was even able to carry Tess to the crematorium for her safe passage. I stayed in the anteroom, not wanting to deny him those final moments with the cat he's had for 'all of his adult life', as he says.
As he told Dave, Contessa was probably 16 years old. She was a well-traveled girl, having lived with the bfe while he was became a physicist in Mississippi, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. She had outlasted all of his girlfriends, too.
That's a good relationship.
After more tears and hugs, we went in search of barbeque, as that is what the man wanted.
Off to White Bluff, to B's Cracklin' Barbeque! I had heard good things about it, but never been, so it would be new for both of us.
STRIKE ONE!
Closed. It's only open Wednesday through Sunday.
Fine.
Off we went to Johnny Harris! While I drove, I told him about Frank's love of their barbeque and why and how it compared to the one I grew up on.
STRIKE TWO!
Closed. I hope not forever, but who knows?
Fine.
Off we went to the Carey Hilliard's on Skidaway Road! He wanted to go there because it was the one I grew up knowing. Plus, that would complete his dining at all of those in Savannah! (He didn't know about the new one in Pooler.)
HOME RUN!
It was open and not busy, as we were dining in mid-afternoon. We had fried pickles and the large Barbeque Plates and a three-hour meal! Lots of talking, too! None of their famous sweet tea, but that was A-okay! The unsweet iced tea was fine with us.
(smile)
Afterward, we jetted down to the Tybee Arts Association! The final performance of "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" was scheduled for 7:30 PM and we didn't even have a reservation! The Jim Ingham's "Black Box" Theater was a small space, but fortunately it was a Monday night and the audience was sparse. Hooray!
I had thought he would enjoy this tale of a late 1960's swinger and he did! The tale of a married man's quest to be part of the post-Pill sexual revolution was in three acts. In the first, the reluctant lover was paired with a hot-to-trot experienced lady - and nothing happened. The second time around, the would-be lover had unknowingly picked up a cock-teaser at the park - so, nothing happened. Last of all, he met with his wife's friend, mistaking her drunken groping at a recent party for true amorous feelings. Of course nothing happened then, either!
I think the funniest part was the location of these trysts. He had selected his mom's apartment for the afternoon liaisons, lending an air of anxiety about neighbors and time to the whole proceedings. Very funny! The bfe thought so, too!
Sadly, there were no singing commercials tonight. A staple at the plays performed there, I had spoken elatedly of them on our drive to the beach. Perhaps Renee and Kim didn't have the time on this Monday?
No worries - it had been a wonderful time for both of us!
As I dropped him back at his homestead last night, I brought forth his birthday present. Courtesy of Ivan's eBay adventures last year, I had snagged two Groucho Marx compilations: "You Bet Your Life: The Best Episodes" and "You bet Your Life: The Lost Episodes". I had intended to give them to the bfe last year, but then the kitteh adventure book was published with such great timing that I decided to wait.
Until last night, after all was done and we had some distance, emotionally and physically, from Contessa's death, as well as a bit of distraction courtesy of the beach theatre.
Good timing!

This morning, he went to school, in search of some normalcy.
I went to meet the head of the science department at Savannah Technical College! Woot woot! Great meeting with her and Jordan (whose place I am taking next semester while she is on maternity leave)! I met with Beverly Cohen in personnel and we got the background check paperwork completed, too! Happy, happy!
Then I went out to Armstrong to check on the bfe, to see whether it was time to fetch Tess home again.
His communicator is on the fritz, refusing to allow texting.
(That's a hoot!)
I contacted him by email and he was good and ready to go.
We ate at Arby's, as it was almost 2 PM. This time, it was my treat! We took our time, chatting, eating every bite.
Then, off to Paws at Peace. Dave had the paperwork ready to go and Contessa's cremains in a cherry-hued wooden box.
Classy - she would have liked that.
Then I took them home.
As I told the bfe, the bus was fine for him as his usual mode of travel, but she rated a more direct and private ride.
A very satisfying finish for both of us.

Now, I'm off to see "The Peanuts Movie" with Barbara and Sandy. That'll be a nice bit of mindless levity to wrap up the day.
Later, y'all.

happy thanksgiving with the youngest brother!

Happy Thanksgiving, Tina!
May today be a really, really blessed good day as we remember how good God is toward us!
I am so truly thankful to God for giving me you for my sister! You've truly been there for me every single step of my life. Wow! How awesome is that!? I am very surely extremely blessed and highly favored.
Thank you my dear, sweet, wonderful sister. Take a moment and just bask in the greatness of how much you mean to me - and many others.
All i can say is that i know how truly blessed i am to be the recipient of your love.
Thank you for a lifetime of favor, good deeds, goodwill, patience, gifts, money, prayers and love.

Thank you, Tina.

And thank you for the great visit this past weekend.

Love ya lots.

Gld bless you,
His peace be with you,
His favor remain on you all your days
- in Jesus' name

Love,
Tony

How truly blessed am I!
After my return from north Georgia a few minutes ago, this missive was waiting to greet me. Excellent timing!
The visit with Dood went very well. Thanks to Nuvi's directions, I was there early enough to be seated in the visitation room just a few moments before the 9 AM start.
Incredible!
That meant I was there to welcome him as he arrived with the group of first entrants. Hooray!
Thanks to Bonnie, we had quite a feast during our visit, too! She had given me twenty dollars last weekend, after our movie.
That is exactly the amount allowed for food and drink purchases by visitors. Hooray!
As we talked about family and life and theology, I made sure he dined on all manner of treats.
Dr. Pepper was his drink of choice today. My visits are the only time he gets sodas.
He ate a cheeseburger with mushrooms, dosing it with salt and pepper and mustard. He also dined on 1 and 1/2 'Big A-Z' barbeque baby back sandwiches - I split that first one with him. Those flavorful foods were a rare treat for his taste buds.
Then he had a honey bun with cream spots, something he had really enjoyed when he was in the Chatham jail. Ah, such a small thing to bring such pleasure!
And the crowning glory for his expansive feast? Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom Vanilla Krunch ice cream bars.
Yes, the plural 's' is on purpose.
He indulged on three of them!
Dairy is a very rare treat, only received on visitation days, provided the frozen treats machine is working.
That one was a close call! The machine was down when we started our visit, but the maintenance guy fixed up about two hours later. Then we had to wait for the line to use it to go down! We didn't want to miss out on any time with each other by having me standing in that line.

Why this photograph? He must have thanked me three times for this birthday card I'd sent! His very own goldfish, in its very own bowl - no water needed!
(smile!)
We talked about his pet cat, too. I still find it incredible that he has a cat to cuddle now and then! I am go happy that he has that bit of touch while he is in the company of men.
All in all, a truly good visit!
When I left at 2 PM, the guard gave me a packet of material to bring home for Tony's box in my hall closet. As his locker is rather small, he occasionally sends written items home with me to free up room for commissary items, like food.
His box at my house is getting pretty full. It has several of the Bibles he has received for successfully completing religious courses. It also contains the study materials for those courses, correspondence from family and friends, and writings from the journal he has been keeping all these years. He speaks of one day perhaps writing a book from those journals. I hope he will. I'll look forward to reading it!
Now, I'm going to have some food, as I drove straight home today, no stops along the way. I wanted to minimize my time driving in the dark, so I had gassed up the car last night.
Good move!
I'll see "Rosenwald" later with Barbara and Sandy, before I call it an early night. This day began at 6 AM!
But what a good day it has been!

And such a beautiful drive, too! Fall colors and blue sky and light traffic!

don't fix it if it ain't baroque!

After seeing "Miss You Already", a film I missed at the Savannah Film Festival, I needed something more upbeat. The story about cancer coming between two best friends was heartbreakingly realistic.
Fortunately, the Lucas Theatre came to my rescue! Haley had me scheduled for tonight's show. Hooray!
What was it, you ask?
A combining of talents of the Savannah Philharmonic and the Savannah Childrens' Choir as they went for baroque!
(smile!)
Seriously!
Titled "An Evening of Baroque: Handel, Bach & Vivaldi", the concert showcased pre-Classical music from 1600 to 1750. Like the architecture of the same name, Baroque music features elaborate ornamentation and wide ranges in instrumentation. In other words, it's the precursor of jazz.
That's okay by me!
Bring on the oboe, the violin, the flute, the harpsichord!
The oboe? Oh, yes! It's not just an odd instrument played by Jason Onks in Tennessee. Oh, no, not at all. Tonight, I heard the "Oboe Concerto in C minor", a piece centered on the woodwind. Very nice and seemingly familiar it was!
My appreciation and thanks to John Canarina for helping me understand the music presented tonight. He gave an educational pre-concert talk to explain the nuts and bolts of this musical style. He also provided insights on the composers, including the religious natures and identities of the three composers: Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel.
The one work of Vivaldi showcased, his "Gloria, RV589", featured the Savannah Childrens' Choir in what was easily the longest piece performed. It consisted of twelve sections of separate music, known as movements. Some movements were solely choral, some were solos or duets, and some were sung by both the choir and a soloist. Such an elaborate work! Rather beautiful, too.
A Bach work which had been lost to the world for two centuries was revealed to us tonight. Well, not the entire work! "Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV1050" was proffered, featuring violin, flute, and harpsichord, in three movements. My favorite was the third one - I do believe I could whistle that one!
Handel was represented by two pieces (as was Bach). My favorite of the two was the one in the second half, as the final number. Why? Because of the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus! "Zadok The Priest, HWV 258" is also a familiar piece, as it has been heard at every English coronation since 1727. Not that there have been any coronations in my lifetime! Long live Queen Elizabeth!

As good as all of that was, as enjoyable as it made the evening, none of it was the highlight of the show.
That highlight was not even originally a part of the program.
It was an impromptu decision in response to recent world events.
Right after the intermission, the musicians were standing with their instruments.
Standing, after sitting all evening.
The Savannah Philharmonic Chorus members were also onstage, also standing.
We waited.
With no announcement about a program change, they launched into "La Marseillaise", the national anthem of France, the call to fight against tyranny and foreign invasion.
Suddenly, spontaneously, everyone was standing, every man, woman, and child in the audience, showing solidarity with the French.
It didn't matter whether anyone across the ocean knew we had done so, it didn't matter whether anyone elsewhere ever knew we had stood as one with those in Paris.
We knew.
What an incredible moment, frozen in crystalline time in my memory.
i thank God i was part of it.

ringing in his ears!

That ringing in his ears ain't tinnitus!
It's his telephone!
Yep! That middle brother of mine was located today by that older brother of mine and now that middle brother of mine has finally gotten a phone again!
Hallelujah!
I am so glad I dropped it off last week at A Touch Of Class!
I am so glad I alerted the masses that I had left his phone there!
I am so glad Smitty had decided to go in search of Ronnie today...
and found him!

I'll sleep better tonight.
I do believe we all will.
(smile)

flamingo fest with friends!

I am now the humble owner of a flock of flamingos.
Or should that be 'flamingoes'?
No, let's not poke fun at a Quayle!
(smile)
Back to the birds, shall we?
(hahaha haha!)

Today was the Flamingo Fest!
I had tried to talk myself out of going.
Then I tried to talk myself out of bidding on birds.
As you can see, I was not a strong persuader.
(Hey, I just had to throw in that Robert Cray hook!)
In my defense, I see great potential in using this wreath for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's day, St. Patrick's Day, my birthday...heck, for any special occasion!
My thanks to Starlandia's owner for the design of this pair!

'The Flash' was designed by a little boy.
I didn't know that when I bid on it.
I knew two things about it:
1) the colors were perfect for my living room;
2) the name reminded me of Sheldon Cooper's costume in at least one episode of "The Big Bang Theory";
3) the name also reminded me of "Flash", Queen's theme song for the movie "Flash Gordon", one of my long-time faves!
I guess that was three things.
(smile)
And I was right: the bird looks good in my living room!

And this little one, painted on glass?
Honestly, that was the one I bid on first. Hung on a curtain with five others and a wind chime, I thought that would be my sole contribution to the fundraiser.
After all, I'm po' right now.
But once I got started bidding, I kept on.
Some bids I lost.
That's okay... I won these three.
And every time I look at them, I will think of Jin Hi.
That makes it all worth more than money.

While there, I was in good company.
The peace Guy was in town and kept me company while I sipped the Lamadrid Bonarda red wine from Argentina.
Patrick of Java Flicks sat with me, too, chatting about storytelling.
Jim Reed, Carolyn, and Ken were there, representing the Wednesday night film fanbase.
Odd Lotters Thomas and Andy, and their lady loves, rambled and chatted.
Doc Ock was spinning tumes, mindful of the age group and keeping it lively! Lots of 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's, if you catch my drift.
There was even Leopold's ice cream!

Now, I'm off for a Bollywood fix, with Barbara and Sandy joining me at the Royal in Pooler.
Which film this time?
It's another one with Salman Khan, "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo", this time with a definite "Dave" theme. Excellent!
I had so enjoyed him in July's "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", in which he helps a mute girl find her family.
He's so dreamy...and hunky... and he'll be fifty years old next month. So...very...dreamy!
(smile)

and the hubcaps all gleam!

There were stargazers
in the lobby,
sending their
rich scent
in all directions!
The Lucas Theatre
was dressed for
an evening of
fancy music
and the children
were dressed in
fine clothes
adorned with lace
and satin sashes!

So why were we were all gathered together?
And why is part of a Queen lyric serving as the title?
The lyric is from one of my favorite songs on "A Night At The Opera" -
and that album title is the event tonight!
Opera stars had combined their talents in a fundraiser for the Savannah Childrens' Choir. What a fabulous event! The artists had selected their favorite pieces to present not only to us, but also to the future opera listeners: the many children in the audience!
Such a well-behaved group of children, too! Perhaps they could teach manners to the 'grown-ups' who were at last night's show?
(smile)
What pieces did they choose?
Melissa Zapin, a soprano, sang "O mio babbino caro", from "Gianni Schicchi", the one-act Puccini comedy performed at the Savannah Music Festival. Divine!
She and the mezzo soprano, Sandra Piques Eddy, performed the popular Flower Duet, "Viens, Mallika...dôme épais la jasmin" from "Lakmé", written by 'Delibes, a one-hit wonder'.
(Hey, that's what was written in the children's portion of the program, in which descriptions of the songs and operas were encapsulated for their interest. Quite handy descriptions for adults, too! There were also fun activities for between songs!)
Why did I call that one popular? Give it a listen - I'm sure you'll recognize it from commercials and movie soundtracks. I did!
Sandra also gave us two songs from Bizet's "Carmen" - hooray! The first was the oh-so-flirty "Habanero", also known as "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle", from this former middle school choir teacher. Ooh la la!
Then, she pairs up with the tenor, Alok Kumar, for "C'est toi? C'est moi!", in which the two former lovers meet again, with disastrous consequences. Honestly, it was like watching a short film, enacted live onstage, and we all know how I love those!
Alok performed another Bizet piece with a baritone, Igor Vieira. A song of everlasting friendship, "Au fond du temple saint" is also known as "The Pearlfishers Duet". It is a tale of two men vowing to remain friends in spite of their love of the same woman, an abbess.
Igor also sang an aria, "O vin, dissipe la tristesse". In that song, Thomas' Hamlet openly beseeches the wine to dispel his sadness, while in secret he searches out his father's killer. Serious business wrapped in the song of a drunkard! Well done, sir!
I'll remark on one more song by Igor, another duet, this time with Keith Miller, the Guest Artistic Director of the Savannah Childrens' Choir this year. The duet, "Restate!!...Presso alla mia persona", is between a soldier and his king, respectively of tonight's singers, from Verdi's five-act grand opera, "Don Carlo".
Keith sang another duet, this time with Melissa. It's all about a "Love Potion No. 9", known here as Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore". The two in the song, "Quanto amore!", are both talkin' 'bout love, but one recommends a drug and the other says her face is her attractant. Funny piece!
One last thing about Keith Miller. This football-player-cum-opera-hunk first started singing after he saw "The Phantom of the Opera" with his girlfriend. True, and quite marvelous, story! My guess is that was his first opera experience. Brava to his paramour for dragging him off for an evening of culture!
One last performer! Roger Moss, co-founder of the Savannah Childrens' Choir, lent his baritone to a "Porgy and Bess" number, "It take a long pull to get there". He was joined in that endeavor by the children, both onstage and scattered throughout the audience. Not quite a flash mob, but pretty close, and good fun for all!
I do so love musicals, so of course I love opera!
It's all music, all the time!

Afterward, I joined
the singers, and
their supporters,
for a reception
by Joe's Homemade.
So very nice!
Tomato sandwiches!
Asparagus wraps!
Shrimp corncakes!
Boozy mini BLT with
reindeer antlers!
(smile!)
For dessert?
Chocolates from
Adam Turoni!

Such a very nice night!
Now, I'm off to join the peace Guy, and other friends, at the screening of "Serenity", starring that luscious Nathan Fillion, around the corner.
What a grand Saturday night in Savannah!
Opera and sci-fi in the same evening!

thanksgiving with Bonnie in bluffton

May you always
be surrounded
by the smiles of friends,
the love of family,
and the happiness
that comes
from meeting each day
with the spirit
of Thanksgiving
in your heart.

Have a Happy Holiday

Love,
Bonnie
Michael
Merritt
& Conner

The card had come earlier in the week. I think it was in response to the Halloween cards - with lots of stickers! - that I sent out this year to Merritt, Conner, and Aubree. Very nice!
Even nicer was being able to meet up with Bonnie this afternoon for lunch and a movie! Hooray! My schedule gets so very hectic this time of year and it had seemed we would not be able to see each other for "our afternoon" until mid-December. This afternoon had opened up and she had given an enthusiastic 'Yes!' to my email. Hooray!
She and I opted for lunch at the new Mexican restaurant, this time sans children. How very nice to dine there without the boys! Not that I don't love them (you know I do!), but it's easier to have a 'grown-up' conversation without them, n'est-ce pas?
Bonnie surprised me and insisted that today was her treat! She said it was an early Christmas gift - sure, I'll take that! How very sweet of her!
We then bopped over to Sea Turtle Cinema - I mean, Cinemark - for the movie, "My All American". She's the only one who will go to sports-themed movies with me, so I especially looked forward to this! I really didn't know much more than it was about football.
What an incredible story! Featuring a young man few had ever heard of, Freddie Steinmark's tale was narrated through the loving eyes of his college coach. Why? Because if you want to find love for that young man, go to the ballfield of the University of Texas Longhorns and look at the scoreboard. That's not a politician's or a rich benefactor's name out there. It's the name of a young man who was headed for greatness on the turf until bone cancer took his left leg.
That's what happened to my friend, Jin Hi, when she was 15 years old.
Steinmark was only twenty years old.
Thanks to his cheerleader spirit at the Cotton Bowl in 1970, and thanks to President Richard Nixon's presence at that game to bear witness to the love of the fans for this young man, The National Cancer Act was passed by Congress in 1971.
That's the same year that Steinmark lost his two-year battle against cancer. He was only 22 years old.
Thirteen years later, in 1984, that same aggressive cancer took the effervescent Jin Hi's left leg. Thanks to major advances in cancer research as a result of that 1971 legislation, she has survived to grace stages here in Savannah and silver screens everywhere for another thirty-one years and counting.
Incredible what you can learn from a sports movie.
Incredible, too, that his son, Freddie Steinmark, Jr., also appeared in this movie. Nice touch!
Now, it's time for me to rush back to Savannah! Tonight, I usher at the Lucas for an opera concert!
Ciao!

european redneck music!

I wish I could lay claim to that description, but I cannot.
Ricardo Ochoa, the possessed violinist of Velvet Caravan, referred during the show tonight to that genre for their musical stylings.
Quite apt!
I well remember the evenings at the little restaurant on Bay and Lincoln that hosted the after-film screenings at the Lucas Theatre of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers. That was in... 2010? 2009? Was it earlier than that? That film group hasn't had a screening here in at least four years, but the band has grown from Ricardo and guitarist Sasha Strunjas into a five-man jam session.
Tonight, Velvet Caravan had invited Packway Handle Band to come down from Athens to join them for a concert. And I was ushering! Hooray for free music for me!
I very much enjoyed that rockabilly group from Athens! Apparently, Kid Rock does too, as they have toured with him for the last two years. Most excellent! They opened with "Not A Song", which was a hoot! "This is not a song, it's a cry for help", they sing, "it's too late for me, go on and save yerself." Very funny and a sure sign that they were from a college town! Of course they had a song about bars, "Jim 3:16", claiming that "a bar is just a church that serves beer." Cute, right? But the one that really grabbed me was their cover of Queen's "Fat-Bottomed Girls" - wooooeeee! Revved up and soaring, Freddie Mercury would have loved it, too!
After intermission, Velvet Caravan took the stage...and the crowd went wild! No, really, they did. Tanked up on wine and beer during the opening band's concert, it was increasingly difficult to make them understand they were at the Lucas Theatre, not a bar. Oy vey!

They started out with Debussy's "Clair de Lune", played "outside the paper", as Ochoa says, in gypsy jazz fashion. Beautiful! But it was their sweetly phrased "Over The Rainbow", complete with ballet dancers, that truly made my night.
Truly.
That song from "The Wizard of Oz" has been special to me for most of my life, ever since I was a girl.
To hear that music coupled with the graceful young dancers...
and for that coupling to be the first time the band had done so...
how very special for all in attendance.
Thanks, y'all.

happy veterans day!

What a splendid day it has been!
Bright sunshine! Warm sun! Loving wishes from family, friends, students, and strangers!
I tell you, it makes me quite proud to have served in the US Navy for eight years!

My day began with me dropping off the cell phone for my middle brother with Barbara. She owns a furniture store that is in his neck of the woods, so to speak, and knows him well. She promised to give it to him when she sees him. What a load off my back! I've been carting that phone around in my car for a month for him.

Then my day became even more wonderful by having lunch with my first niece at Olive Garden. Most excellent! As a veteran, my lunch was free, and a fine lunch it was! I selected the Garlic Rosemary Chicken, with extra broccoli instead of the mashed potatoes. I paired that with bottomless salad, having two bowls full! yes, I had dragon breath after all of that garlic and red onions and peperoncini, but it was soooo worth it!
Plus, that's what the little mint is for, non è vero?
(smile)
James was a fabulous waiter, so sweet and charming for the entire two hours that we were there! Every time we needed anything, he was right there. (That's an inside joke between me and the bfe!)
Christina even paid for my drink!
I felt so very cherished!

Then, off to the school for my Office Hours at the Learning Commons. Only Cameron came by, but what a great visit we had! We talked about chemistry, a little, but mostly about China and history and government. For almost two hours. No, I didn't get any grading done, but my energy was way up and that was great!

After that, I did get some grading done. In fact, I got all the grading done for my lab students! Hooray! And I even had some time to goof off before the lecture.
Definite plus!

Lecture went swimmingly, but what I very much enjoyed was lab tonight. Sure, my reason started out for it being the very last lab of the semester. Hooray!
But I had decided to make sure folks were aware that it was Veterans Day. I had included a question on the quiz: "How many veterans do you know?"
Cognizant that some might not actually know any, I had asked if any of the students were veterans.
Nope.
To make sure everyone knew at least one, I announced that I was a veteran and had served eight years in the Navy.
Know what they did?
They applauded me!
They even thanked me for my service!
It was incredible!!!
Some even started talking about folks they knew who were veterans. Then, when they reached that fourth question, I could tell they were truly thinking about all the veterans they knew.
Very nice!!!
The whole atmosphere in lab tonight became like that of a private party.
Excellent!!!

Shortly after 8:30 pm, a full two hours before lab was scheduled to end, we were done. Done! Hooray! And all wished me a 'Happy Veterans Day' as they left.
I wish every semester could have a Veterans Day in it!

I headed to Appleebee's for my free dinner a little earlier than I had thought. Good! I was hungry!
Nicki was my waitress and she was at least as sweet as James had been - and so very energetic! My table was catercorner to one where another lone female veteran sat, as Nicki made sure we both knew.
What a smart and kind young woman!
While I awaited the Oriental Chicken Salad, the other woman and I began chatting. In no time at all, it seemed, my delicious meal had arrived! Yum! Grilled chicken, crispy rice noodles, crunchy slaw! The woman and I kept each other company for some time longer, with Nicki checking on us for anything we might need.
What a great dining experience!
What a fabulous treat!

Then I came home and was able to set up a well-deserved, and well-needed, New Year's Eve holiday for my first niece and her kind husband. I had just enough points for their three-night stay - what serendipity!
I must say, next year's Veterans Day will be hard pressed to top this one for happiness, contentment, and love!

feast of saint francis!

After the twins' birthday party, I bounced over, through the continuing rain, to Bill's party.
It would be his final Feast of Saint Francis of Assissi in Savannah.
You see, my dear artist friend is returning to California.
His brother and sister live there and, as he noted, we are all getting older. Physical closeness to family is now needed in his life.

I completely understand that.
I am so blessed to have been living in Savannah when Mama died, to have had eight years of my life shared with hers, here where I have always called 'home'.
I am so blessed to have been living in Savannah when Daddy died. I was within an hour's drive from his home in Beaufort, allowing us to share many weekends, and one last birthday, together before his cancer took him away.
I am so blessed to have been living in Savannah when my stepdad, Frank, died. He and I shared some great conversations over the years since September 28, 1984, when he and Mama wed. We continued to have discussions on random trains of thought, including Sumerian mythology, in the years since her death in 2001. I miss those talks.
I am so blessed to have been living in Savannah when my stepbrother, George, died. He always shared a joke or two with me, some bluer than others. I really liked that. (smile)

Family is important.
Bill is moving to Chico, a little town with a great and glorious park for long walks with his beloved therapy dog, Tucker. The town is within an easy drive from his sister's house in San Francisco.
The town even boasts minor-league baseball to fill his summers with joy. What a bonus!
Also, one of his best friends lives there, a best friend who has volunteered to come here, help him pack, and drive with him across the States. That's a definite bonus, too, in so many ways.
Though the party tonight was sparse, it was filled with love in the air.
Thank you, Bill, for sharing your home, and your heart, with us.
Thank you, too, for one more reason for me to venture west!

happy first birthday, Leila and Alyssa!

It was a dark and stormy night...
Strike that.
It was a grey and rainy afternoon...
Yeah, that's got it!
No matter, though. We had all gathered at Michael and Melanie's to celebrate the first birthday of their twin girls.
My great-nieces!
Leila came up to greet me as I came in the door, with a smile on her face and her arms up. She sure did! She and I imprinted in the hospital. We did! I think we would recognize each other anywhere!
Leila is the one that takes after her dad, my nephew. Alyssa, the slightly older and slightly larger of the fraternal pair, looks more like her mom. They're both beautiful!
I'll let them tell you about the party.
(smile!)

Here we both are,
gathered around
Grammy Melinda.
We've been opening
gifts and this is
nearly the last one!
What's in the bag??
That butterfly-bedecked bag??
What's there for us??

Oh, look!
It's a book!
How wonderful,
we love books!
What book is it?
Oh, it's G'Aunt Tina's book!
"Got Pumpkin?"
Yes, we do now!
What a pretty green cover!

Oh, more gifts?
In heart-shaped boxes, too!
Haha, Mom thought it was candy!
No, it's jewelry inside!
They're pretty beaded bracelets
with silver elephants!
And there's a joke, too,
about an elephant painting
his toenails!
Hahaha haha!

Then it was finally time for cake!
We had played and played with the ball pit Aunt Christina and Uncle Jason gave us!
Aunt Chelsea even sat in it with us, tossing balls through all the holes!
Such fun!
The grilled hamburgers, the baked beans, the potato salad and the pasta salad had been eaten until everyone was about to pOp!
Such good food!
But now it was time for those butterfly cupcakes made especially for us by Aunt Christina and Grammy!
And we got to eat them all by ourselves in these nice high chairs!
Grammy and GiGi and Nana couldn't seem to get enough pictures of us!
Such fun!

Thank you,
Grandpa Matt,
for coming
to our party!
Thank you,
GiGi and Pop
McEwen!

Thank you,
Grammy Melinda,
for making the
pretzel butterflys
for our cupcakes!
Thank you,
Nana and Grandpa
Johnson for
sharing this day
with us!

Time for us to have our baths and get into our jammies.
Maybe Mom or Dad will read one of our new books tonight?
Hope we can stay awake long enough to hear the end...
(yyaaaWWWWnnnn!)
Good night, everyone!
Thank you again for coming to our party!

off to the twins' 1st birthday party!

But before I go, let me show you what I have for them!

This is that book I wrote about the pumpkin.
I realize they are not quite old enough for the vocabulary in it, but it'll be a good book to teach them great words!
Now, they'll have something shared with their cousins Caitlyn, Merritt, and Ally!
The book for the girls differs, though, because of the green cover.
It's quite pretty!

But THIS is what truly sets their book apart from the others.

"2015
Happy 1st birthday,
dearest Leila and Alyssa,
princess of dark and light!
with my love,
G'Aunt Tina"

This is the
heart-shaped box
with the
elephant bracelet
for Leila.
She is my
dark Princess.

This is the
heart-shaped box
with the
elephant bracelet
for Alyssa.
She is my
light Princess.






The names were very carefully chosen by their parents, so that makes the names perfect for the girls.
Okay! Time for me to get ready and get on the road!
I'll let you know how the party was!

hail caesar, ye masquers!

In search of entertainment which was not downtown with the marathoners, I had led our little trio south of Gaston Street last night. What fun we had at "The 39 Steps"!
Tonight, I journeyed alone, further southside, away from the madding crowd.
Definitely the right direction!
The Armstrong Masquers performed "Julius Caesar", yet another fine bit of Shakespeare to add to my growing list this year.
What an interesting take on an old story!
The upper left shows Julius Caesar clasping Cassius to him and the upper right is of Brutus having a sex-charged moment with Cassius.
Say what? Cassius as a woman?
You bet. The language works unchanged, save for pronouns.
Makes you wonder just how close the 'good old boys' of Rome truly were.

The lower panel is non-genderbending, illustrating a tense moment shared between Brutus and his wife, Portia.
Amazingly, the audience was quite willing to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride! Quite possibly they had read the excellent article by Anna Chandler, as I had.
(In fact, the photos above are from that preview of the show. My favorite line from her is the last line: "Littered in omens, pride, and revenge, it’s a fine follow-up to your Halloween weekend.")
However, perhaps the very talented cast had a lot to do with the audience's participation. Taurus (TJ) Vaughn as Caesar, Amira Williams as Cassius, Walter Pigford as Brutus, Jonathan C. Handley (my former student) as Casca (the flatterer), Tristan Carlson as Metellus: all gifted and experienced regulars in these productions.
And, then, of course, there's Gabe Michael, who was stunning as Marc Antony. Stunning. He is always professional in his approach and brings up the entire cast by his presence. Tonight, his dad and his grandmother were in the front row. I met them afterward and made sure they understood how much I appreciated Gabe's dedication to his craft.
His was not the only grandmother present. I sat beside the paternal grandma of Ashlin Cross, who did a fine job as Caesar's wife, Calphurnia. Her grandparents have followed her to Savannah, so I look forward to seeing them again.
Great work, y'all!

39 steps to laughs!

Alfred Hitchcock can be such a hoot!
No, really!
Tonight, we three amigas (me, Barbara, and Sandy) went to the latest production of the Asbury Memorial Theatre. "The 39 Steps" was filled with funny sound effects, slapstick, shadow puppets, and almost too many scene changes to count. What a hoot!!!
It was actually quite thrilling to watch the scene changes. The stage contained a rotating platform divided by a wall. This allowed quick changes to the "location" of the next scene while the action was occurring on the side facing the audience. It varied from a bachelor pad to a theatre interior to a country manor to a train car to a guest bedroom to a police station, switching around and around, with each location distinctly different.
In addition to the set undergoing constant changes, the cast was in a continual state of flux, too. Well, most of the cast. The actor portraying the lead role, a bachelor having an extraordinary evening and next day, was one very energetic young man, Chad Hsu. His 'on the lam' scenes reminded me of John Cleese and his Minister of Silly Walks - hilarious!
As for the other four cast members, their wardrobe - and even hair - was subject to change from one scene to another. Cheri Hester was a sophisticated blonde agent, a naive brunette, the younger wife of a Scottish farmer, and at least one other female. Not that she was the only one in female roles! All three of the other men had at least one woman in their vast repertoire, all played strictly for laughs!
Confused? I know I spoke of this as being from Hitchcock, when, actually, it is based on the action in the 1935 film from Hitchcock. A comedian took that film and the original book and created this bit of loveliness. Did I mention yet that the comedian was British? Well, Patrick Barlow certainly is! And we thoroughly enjoyed his artistry as a playwright with tongue firmly in cheek!
Afterward, at the opening night reception, we were treated to slices of heavenly pecan pie. Nope, it sure wasn't my Grandma's recipe, but it certainly was tasty! We are planning to attend the pecan and honey harvest next weekend.
We found out, too, that we were three of the thirty-nine tickets sold for this opening night's performance. Wow! How double cool to be part of such an auspicious number of theatre-goers! I think that bodes well for the show's two-weekend run, don't you?

diamond animation!

How cool was this?
From the 18th Annual Savannah Film Festival, I've now indulged in the 17th Annual Ron Diamond's Animation Show of Shows!
The latter, like the former, was brought to town by SCAD. Unlike the former, the latter was specifically brought by the SCAD Animation department.
Makes no never mind to me how it got here! I was just glad to be there!
Best of all, it was free!
Not that the cost was a factor. I was an usher at the Lucas tonight, so I would have been in on the show anyway. Hooray!
Ron Diamond is actually a businessman. For the past 16 years, he has held insider screenings of the "best" animation from various film festivals. "Best" to him is defined as those using innovative techniques to tell a story, with an eye toward commercial use, i.e., inspiration of the industry moguls of animation, like Disney and Pixar.
Quite savvy!
In many ways, it reminded me of those guys with the Found Footage Festival. I've gone to at least two of their screenings, most recently with the bfe, but earlier on my own.
Like them, Diamond also was selling collections on DVD from earlier shows. I didn't buy any, though. Not to say I didn't enjoy the show tonight - oh, no! That was a treat!
But he didn't have that DVD for sale yet.
That'll be available next year.

So, here's the list of shorts shown, more or less.

En Sortant de l'ecole
I only caught a small bit of this, as I was ushering and folks kept arriving late. Sheesh! Good thing I was able to watch the whole thing on Vimeo! Good work, Lily Poppins, and nice music, too!

The Ballad of Holland Island House
Definitely one of my favorites! Delightful tale of a house, from the point of view of a tree used in its construction.

Behind The Trees
Based on a voice memo bewteen a woman and her husband, a voice memo unearthed several years later, this sketch can be seen in its entirety at the link. Entertaining!

Yul et le Serpent
This is what you get when redneck bullies go out to the desert. The crude artwork goes well with the story.

Edmond
A man who eats everything, in stop-motion style. I do mean everything. Yikes!

Stripy
The students applauded when they saw the title, so I knew I was in for a good one! Hooray! Very beautifully drawn Iranian tale of straight black lines being replaced by curving red lines in a factory. Wonderful Hungarian dance music! Definite keeper about nonconformity and change! I fully agree with this reviewer! And there was a bonus interview with the artists afterward!

Snowfall
Nice tale from Conor Whelan about a gay man misreading signals at a party. And there was a bonus! The artist interview followed the piece!

Sanjay's Super Team - from Pixar!!!
Hahaha! Hindu gods as superheroes! Very nice! And guess what? I'll see it again when "The Good Dinosaur" comes to a multiplex near me! Hooray!

Messages dans l'air
Beautiful love story of two neighbors brought together by a cat and a goldfish! Definitely one of my favorites!

Love in the Time of March Madness
Uplifting tale (all puns intended!) of a girl too tall for her peers - and her eventual embracing of her differences. Nice interview afterward with Melissa Johnson, the artist and star of this biopic!

World of Tomorrow
Sketch art of a little girl greeted by her degenerative clone of the future. It was okay, but a bit weak to me.

That makes 11 films. There were supposed to be 12, so I guess I missed the very first of these award-winning shorts. Maybe I'll catch it at the Oscars!

rockin' the kasbah with memories!

Sometimes, I am especially glad that I subscribe to the newspaper. Today was one of those times!
I gave my students their fourth test tonight. I occupied myself with Sudoku and Jumble and Word Game and Crossword, as I usually do.
Hooray for the Savannah Morning News!
Otherwise, I'd just be sittin' and watchin' the students. That would be unnerving for all of us.
The Sudoku was just a one-star challenge, so I was done lickety-split.
The Jumble had a woman supervising some guys. "The movers had no problems lifting the heavy boxes, but she wanted them to"...pick up the pace. Funny!
The Word Game offered "espresso", with a goal of finding 14 words in 25 minutes. Done! How about press, spree, peer, poser, prose, pose, rose, rope, seep, seer, posse, sore, pore, and erose? Go ahead, check that last one! I've seen it in enough crossword puzzles that it's embedded in my brain!
Speaking of the Crossword today... one of the clues was: "The Rum _ Tugger" (song from "Cats").
I know that one! I even danced with Rum Tum Tugger! My husband had called to say we had front-row seats at the show (a winner had not collected their prize from the radio station - yeah for us!), and most excellent seats they were, on orchestra left. During the performance, RTT came off the stage, dancing, then stopped in front of me with his paw out for me to join him! Wow wow WOW!!! Honestly, the rest of the show was a blur for me!
How very nice to be reminded of that treat! I wish I could recall when it was, but I can definitely say it was between 2001 and 2007. (It was after Mama died and before my divorce from that music man.)
Then, I read the comics and found that one, shown above.
More good memories! Monica used to have fabulous Halloween parties at her A-frame house! That would have been in the same time-frame as the musical, too. My then-husband was usually tapped to play DJ for the parties and rarely went in costume. Me? I always came up with something low cost to don!
One year, I used my 'fall colors' dress as the basic costume, then pinned big fake leaves all over it. With the background patchwork of the dress' design, plus a bit of facial coloration and leaves in my hair, I proclaimed myself "a pile of wet leaves"! Why, specifically, 'wet'? Because if the leaves were dry, they'd fall off!
(smile!)
Everyone enjoyed that! Plus, that pile of wet leaves looked really cool when I was dancing!
Good times!

After the test, I jetted over to the cinema for "Rock The Kasbah", the latest Bill Murray film. Honestly, this one should have been included in the Savannah Film Festival screenings. It would have been a good one to follow "He Named Me Malala", both featuring young women following their dreams in war-torn countries, with threats against their lives for going after traditional male-only goals.
This movie was dedicated to Setara Hussainzada, an actual contestant on the real show, "Afghan Star".
In both movies, we see the struggle in their fathers between pride in their daughter's choices and fear for their daughter's lives. That really hit me hard, as such scenes do.
I sought solace from the Philo Cafe folks... would they still be at Chili's? They were! Hallelujah!
So I visited with Connie and Cedric and Kevin and was regaled with stories of Kevin's 'precious snowflakes' and their colorful drawings of him as an octopus.
I am so very blessed!